Esmai's Story
Esmai's family visited Ben's Retreat in July 2026.
Esmai was 7 months old in October 2021 when I noticed her behaviour had changed, she was having absent seizures which I was told by the paramedics that’s what they were.
We began the fight that I never knew I’d have for the hospital to listen to me and eventually she had a CT scan 5 days later.
We got told Esmai had a brain tumour the size of a grapefruit and she needs to be transferred to Alder hey hospital.
Esmai had the tumour completely resected 12th October 2021, that was the start of a long journey which entailed a year of chemotherapy 7 cycles of 4 different chemos every 2 weeks.
Esmai was classed as “in remission” November 2022 but in September 2024 her brain tumour came back
Esmai has surgery again woth a full resection and went through a second radiotherapy for 7 weeks in November 2024 which finished the day before New Year’s Eve.
Esmai is now 5 such a happy little girl and makes people laugh with her sassiness, this year will mark 2 years in remission which is a nerve racking time for us but seeing Esmai everyday who she is and how happy she makes every single person takes the nerves away
We are so thankful to Ben Saunders Foundation for giving us the opportunity to visit the cotswolds and stay in their beautiful lodge